Nose
Complex aromas of black cherry, earth and the classic Monte Rosso spice
Palate
On the palate, the wine offers rich flavors of cassis and anise framed by notes of raspberry and black fig. Maturation in French and American Oak create assertive tannins that melt seamlessly into a long, elegant, caramel finish.
Growing Conditions
One of California’s most historic vineyards, Monte Rosso is nestled 1,200
feet above the Sonoma Valley in the majestic Mayacamas mountain range. The
red volcanic soils and low-yielding old vines on this steep, rugged mountaintop
have produced treasured grapes for the Martini portfolio of fine wines since
Louis M. Martini purchased the vineyard in 1938. In 2012, the growing
season had ideal conditions and produced a classic vintage. Bud break was
timely, followed by steady flowering and an even fruit set. The heart of the
season was a long, consistent stretch of warm days and cool nights, resulting in
balanced structure, ideal levels of acidity and full, dark fruit flavors in our
Cabernet grapes. Picking conditions during harvest were excellent as the
weather stayed dry and the mornings were cool, allowing us to deliver grapes
with optimal ripeness and balance.
Our Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon was handcrafted
from grapes 100 percent from the legendary Monte Rosso Vineyard in
Sonoma Valley
Winemaking
The Cabernet grapes for this wine were carefully hand harvested and hand
sorted, then cold soaked for two days before being gravity fed into fermenters.
After primary fermentation, the wine was racked by gravity into oak barrels for
malolactic fermentation.
Aging
The wine was aged for up to 27 months in French and American oak barrels, much of it new oak (78% new French, 14% new American, 8% neutral barrels) before the final blend was assembled, then sent back to barrel to allow the flavors to integrate before bottling.
